The Wisdom Tree
by ajunkboat
Summary: Arthur receives a miniature tree as a gift from a visiting noble, Merlin ends up taking care of it. How could that possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: **The Wisdom Tree

**RATING: **T

**PAIRINGS: ** none

**WARNINGS: **whumpage abound! Not so much in this chap, but it'll come :) oh and I've seen all three seasons, so there might be some accidental spoilers? Theres none in this chapter but I thought I'd just mention it incase... I don't think there will be any spoilers though... at least, I'm not planning on putting them in here...

**SUMMARY:** Arthur receives a miniature tree as a gift from a visiting noble, Merlin ends up taking care of it. How could that possibly go wrong?

**A/N:** so this is my first fanfic in the Merlin fandom, and only my second ever fanfic, so I'm hoping its ok, but its unbeta'd and I'm relatively new at writing... but hopefully its not too bad :) this fic was inspired by my little bonsai tree (dubbed my tree of wisdom) which refuses to be healthy, and brings much sadness with its pathetic-looking-ness. Anyway, I was watching it the other night as it sat on my windowsill, and BAM plotbunnies :) so heres my first Merlin fic!

Merlin sighed again as he watched the once green petals wilting. The beautiful miniature tree was dying, and somehow there was no amount of water or sunlight that would revive the ailing plant. It remained solemnly on Arthur's windowsill, watching the busy courtyard below as its health slowly declined.

Merlin was not sure quite why, but he felt a strange attachment to the tiny plant, every day since its arrival few weeks ago, he had tended to it, trying to coax life back into its fragile limbs. Despite its frail build and state of health, it exuded an aura of wisdom, like it was old enough to have seen the world and learned its secrets, as many of the oldest, tallest trees in the forest seemed to. The tree had been given to Arthur by a visiting noble, a gift of thanks for the hospitality of Camelot. Gaius had been unable to identify the plant, but its unique beauty and calming aura soothed his concern as he sensed its deep earthy magic. Gaius kept this information to himself of course, the tree was innocent and a rare beauty, something he was sure he could learn from, and telling the King about its magic would only lead to its abrupt demise. So the tree remained with Arthur, which ultimately meant it remained in Merlins care. While the heir to the throne had been flattered that the noble would offer him such a unique and beautiful gift, its care fell to Merlin as another of his duties in serving the young Prince.

Merlin found he didn't mind though, the plant calmed him, whenever he was near it, he couldn't help but feel peaceful. Perhaps that peaceful feeling was why Arthur insisted on keeping it? he wondered idly, the prince had refused all his suggestions at moving the plant to Merlins quarters, as he was the one taking care of it. Although this could also just be the prat being selfish and not wanting to give up something which was his, Merlin mused.

The plant had adapted well to its new home, thriving under Merlins gentle hand, and its calming presence filled not just Arthurs chambers, but spilled out into the corridor and down the halls, allowing any passersby a wonderful feeling of peace. But with each day that passed, the tree grew more melancholy, wilting slowly, the beautiful green dulled. With its health failing, Merlin began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. It started as just a lingering feeling that something was wrong, which faded when he left Arthurs chambers. The past few days though, the feeling stuck with him wherever he went, a niggling seed of doubt that all was not well. When he tried to tell the Prince of his unease, he simply shrugged it off, laughing at his servants superstition.

"Don't be such a _girl Mer_lin. What do you want me to do? You expect me to believe that something is wrong just because you feel a bit down today? Without even any idea of _what_ is wrong?" he mocked. Merlin just huffed at his masters condescending tone. "Oh, I think I know what might be wrong," Arthur started again. "You're just feeling bad because you haven't been busy enough! Ah such a terrible prince I am, allowing you to laze about until you feel positively awful with rest and wellbeing." The prince's sarcasm was really starting to annoy Merlin. "Well I know just how to fix that" Merlin grimaced as he _knew_ now something bad was _definitely_ about to happen. "You can begin by mucking out the stables, and then you can polish my boots, scrub my floor and press my robes" the prince smiled, obviously pleased with himself and his antagonising of Merlin.

The young warlock sighed in resignation. The stupid prat wouldn't believe him, but Merlin knew he felt something odd, something wrong. Perhaps he could speak with Gaius later, he hoped the old man would still be awake when he returned from the long list of jobs he had just been assigned.

"You're welcome Merlin." The smug voice of Arthur broke through his musings, "Feel better won't you." And with a patronizing smirk in his direction, the prince strode off to attend whatever princely duties he was expected to have done.

Merlin sighed heavily as he turned back to the castle, heading up to Arthurs chambers to scrub the floor, deciding to leave the horses til later as they would probably take the longest. He stepped into Arthurs chambers and was immediately met with the oppressive atmosphere of the withering tree. Every bone in his body seemed instantly heavier, and the melancholic feeling of the tree washed over him. He wearily trudged over to the windowsill and stared down dejectedly at the now-brown little plant. He reached out a hand, with no knowledge of how to help it, he tried to offer some sympathy and comfort, only to jerk back as he felt a disturbing flash of hunger lick across his mind.

He stared at the tree in shock, what the hell had just happened? Did that plant just mind-lick him? He took a cautious step away from the miniature tree, eyes never leaving its wilted leaves. The feeling in the room had changed to uneasy foreboding, the air practically humming with tension. He probed out carefully with his magic and stopped at the vast web of magic emanating from the tree. He considered the plant in awe, how could so much power come from such a tiny plant? He stretched out again and placed his finger on the side of the tiny trunk, feeling the thrum of magic warm against his fingertip. He smiled almost affectionately down at the little plant, before a hungry flood of power surged up his arm and into his head. He felt a sharp spike in his skull as the unknown magic invaded his mind, and he found he could not move, could not pull his fingers away from the trunk.

The power in his mind overwhelmed his senses and he felt himself drop to his knees, distantly aware of the sharp ache as his kneecaps collided with the hard stone floor. The pain in his head peaked as a final thorn pierced deeper into his mind, and he was released from the trunk, passing swiftly into the oblivion of unconsciousness...

**A/N: **see its not so bad right? Let me know what you think! I would really appreciate some reviews! And if someone tells me how, I shall endeavour to reply to anyone who takes the time to review :) thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **omg! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or alerted this story! I was blown away by the feedback! You inspired me to write faster, and here I have the next chapter! Particular shout out to GoodbyeSleepAndHelloSugar who I can't reply to, but you review made me laugh, thanks!

Anyway, thank you to everyone who took the time to read my story :)

Also I forgot this on chap one but **DISCLAIMER: **yeah, I don't own Merlin. Surprise!

**CHAPTER TWO**

Arthur was weary and frustrated as he made his way back to his chambers. He hated council meetings, the old nobles spoke solemnly of court politics and discussed whether to raise taxes on the people living in some of the outlying villages, as really they did not pay enough to expect to be kept safe from bandits, most villages were too far to send regular patrols without increasing the taxes of said villagers. Arthur sighed as they bickered, the outlying villagers only lived so far away from protection as they could not afford to move closer, so raising taxes would be cruel to the poor people. Of course, his sympathetic views had been ignored, leaving him rather irritated as he left the stuffy old men to their business.

As he entered his chambers, he expected to see his foolish servant scrubbing the floor unenthusiastically, his freshly pressed robes folded on the table, with his newly cleaned boots. He did not expect the mess he had left that morning to still be there, and his poor excuse for a manservant sleeping soundly next to his window.

He growled low in his throat, his bad mood significantly increased by his lazy servant. Grabbing the closest object to him, he threw a goblet at Merlins head, narrowly missing and causing the younger man to jump awake as the loud clang reverberated around the room. Looking very confused and slightly unnerved at being found on the floor, Merlin gathered himself up and turned to face a rather furious looking Arthur. Holding out his hands in a placating gesture he tried to explain, "It's not what it looks like I swear. I was about to start scrubbing the floors, but the tree, it felt really sad, so I wanted to see if I should water it or something—" he ducked as another goblet flew at his face. "I touched it and I dunno what happened, I must have passed out or something, it was the tree Arthur, I swear there's something weird about it—"

"THE TREE?" Arthur exclaimed disbelievingly, "You are trying to blame the tree for your laziness? What exactly did it do _Mer_lin? It's a tiny little tree! No, _I_ think what happened, was _you_ decided that doing what you were told for once was too much effort, and taking a nap would be a _much_ better idea. You _really _are the most pathetic excuse for a servant aren't you _Mer_lin, honestly, can you just for once do something that I ask you to, and be even slightly competent at your job?" He reached for another goblet to vent his frustration on his hapless manservant, the younger man was just infuriating sometimes! To think that he suffered through the boredom and irritation of that stupid council meeting while his useless servant had been blissfully asleep was just... argh! He couldn't even think of the word he was so annoyed, so he just threw the next goblet at Merlins head, rather satisfied as it bounced off his ear, leaving it bright red and Merlin scowling at him.

"Honestly Arthur, I don't know what happened, I just..." he paused in confusion. He just what?.. What had he been about to say? He scrunched his face up as he tried desperately to remember what they were just talking about. Glancing up he realised Arthur was glaring at him, waiting for him to continue with whatever excuse he had cooked up this time.

"What... what were we talking about?" Merlins confusion was evident on his face as he studied Arthurs tense figure. Arthur just stared at him incredulously before continuing to glare, sighing "You have got to be joking. Merlin do you actually even have a brain or do you just manage to walk around being buoyed up by the air floating around between your ears?" Honestly, did Merlin think he was entirely stupid? "Don't think you can get out of punishment for sleeping on the job just by pretending to have forgotten what we're talking about and evading the subject."

"S-Sleeping on the job?" Merlin stuttered, incredulous. That was ridiculous! He would never do that, Arthur would be furious if he caught him... "When would I have found time to sleep when you keep me running around all day after you! Really, with the amount I do for you, you'd think I'd get a little bit of credit, but noooo nothing is ever good enough for the great Prince Arthur." Merlin knew that was quite out of line, speaking to his master so cheekily, but he usually got away with it, their light-hearted banter was one of the only things that Merlin enjoyed about his job sometimes.

Arthur gave him an odd look before speaking very slowly, as though speaking to someone very dense. "Merlin. I just saw you. I walked in, and there you were on the floor. Fast asleep. I _saw_ you." He felt a twinge of concern as Merlin's face scrunched up again in confusion.

"You did?" he asked. He winced as a sharp pain lanced through his skull. What the hell was going on?

Arthur was thinking the same thing as he watched Merlin carefully. When his servant winced in pain and held a hand to his head, his concern peaked. Maybe he had thrown that goblet harder than he had thought...

"Are you alright Merlin?" Arthur let only the slightest hint of concern colour his question, he would never admit to Merlin that he cared. He made up his mind to forgive Merlin this time, he had made his point, and he probably shouldn't have thrown that goblet so hard, he just hoped Merlin wouldn't blame him for the headache and confusion he seemed to be suffering. As much as the boy irritated him, he didn't really mean to take out his frustration on him, and he certainly didn't want to hurt him. He sighed, "Go see Gaius and rest, you are dismissed for the night. I expect you here bright and _alert_ in the morning, ready to do everything you were supposed to have done today, plus, I'll need a target for practice." He smirked as he watched Merlin groan, he hated Arthur's training and target practice, he always ended up bruised and exhausted. But he nodded his head, relieved to be let off duty tonight, his head was starting to pound and he really needed some time to think, and work out what the hell had just happened.

Arthur watched Merlin leave quietly, before turning to the windowsill and feeling peace steal over him as his gaze fell on the beautiful green leaves of the tree. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it looked like it had grown since he had received it. Maybe Merlin is good at something then, he grinned to himself, maybe he should get a whole garden of plants to keep the young servant useful. He readied himself for sleep, still muttering about foolish servants and their hopelessness at doing anything right, his concern melted away under a spreading sense of contentment.

On the windowsill the miniature tree sat innocently watching.

**A/N: **so theres chapter two, let me know what you think, I'm actually not that happy with it, I don't think I got their banter quite right or something about their characters... I dunno, but some constructive criticism would be really appreciated, if you feel so inclined :)

Once again, thanks so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or favourite or alerted this story! Every notification I get from makes me so happy I keep checking my email in hopes of more :) **

**I'm really sorry about the delay on this chapter, uni assignments are a bitch, but I have finally finished my bio essay, and uni break starts next week, so hopefully I will find more time for updating in the holidays yay!**

**Anyway, here's chapter three! Enjoy!**

**A/NN: sorry, had to reupdate this chap, cuz the markers between paragraphs didn't show up... whats up with that? The *** disappeared :( hopefully the XXX worked...**

**CHAPTER THREE**

_THUNK!_

Merlin almost fell over for the hundredth time as he felt the arrow hit its mark on the shield he was laboriously lugging around the training ring. His arms ached and his legs felt like jelly. Arthur had been at this for hours, forcing Merlin to run around, acting as a moving target for the prince to practice his archery.

He had known from the moment he woke up that today was going to be a bad day for him. His head pounded and he couldn't remember much of the previous evening, he had been given a list of chores to do... but he couldn't remember doing them. Had he had a falling out with Arthur? He had a vague memory of some yelling, and something hit him in the head... maybe that was why he had this relentless headache this morning? He had stumbled out of bed and headed off to wake his master and fetch his royal breakfast, and things had only gotten worse. Nora, the head cook in the kitchen had yelled at him for accidently knocking over a jug of milk, Arthur had yelled at him for being late to wake him up, and then proceeded to list an unreasonable amount of jobs for him to complete today, or be thrown into the stocks.

Merlin was startled out of his thoughts as an arrow whistled past his ear accompanied by the scornful voice of his prince "If I wanted an unmoving target, I would have cut your legs off _Mer_lin. But as it is, they're still attached, so _use_ them you idiot!" Merlin groaned, heaved the shield so it rested a little on his shoulder, relieving the pressure on his wrists, and began running once more.

XXX

Merlin was exhausted as he stumbled after the prince into his chambers. It wasn't even noon and all he wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for the next year. He lay down the chainmail he was carrying carefully- if it twisted, fixing it would just be another job for him to add to his seemingly endless list. He groaned as he stretched out aching muscles, heading over to the window to feel a breath of the cool breeze that fluttered the curtains. He relaxed as he felt a familiar wave of calm envelop him, and he stared down in surprise at the lively little tree, practically beaming at him in the sunlight. But through the haze of peace, he felt a distant flicker of unease. The tree was dying yesterday... Now it couldn't look healthier... He had a really bad feeling that he was forgetting something important...

Merlin drew away from it, his instincts screaming at him to run, before a heavy presence settled over his mind, successfully squashing any further thought. Merlin mindlessly reached back out to the tiny tree, fingers brushing the dirt at its roots, when an all-consuming hunger overpowered his senses. He cried out as an all too familiar presence made itself known in his mind, digging around and probing for power. It pierced down through his head and into his chest, tearing through his soul in its greed.

Merlin couldn't breathe, Merlin couldn't think. He screamed silently in agony as the presence consumed his strength, its fire burning through his veins. He was distantly aware of a voice calling his name, but through the blur of pain he couldn't respond.

He could have cried with relief as his mind shut down, the black pit of oblivion saving him from the pain of consciousness...

XXX

Arthur had flung himself onto his bed the moment he entered his chambers. His arms ached from the intense morning of archery training, but he felt a deep pride in his improvement, he hadn't missed the target once (except that time he purposely shot an arrow past Merlin's ear). He glanced over at his exhausted manservant, who had stumbled over to the window after carefully laying out his chainmail. Although Arthur would never admit it, he enjoyed the younger boys company, and felt a similar sense of pride in Merlins improvements. His stamina was increasing, as were his strength and reflexes. Arthur could not train a servant, but with all the dangerous situations he found himself in (and subsequently found Merlin in) he felt it was best if the dark haired youth knew at least the basics. So he tortured Merlin with his training, pushing the servant past his limits in an attempt to protect him.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a strangled noise, and glanced over to see Merlin standing unnaturally still by the window. He hauled himself up to see what had his servant so tense. "Merlin—" He stopped when he saw his face. Eyes scrunched up in obvious pain, mouth open in a noiseless scream. Arthur tensed, muscles instinctively reacting to the adrenaline that coursed through his veins as he looked around for the enemy.

"Merlin!" he shouted desperately as his servant dropped to the floor in a boneless heap. Before he could take a step forward to help the unconscious boy, he was slapped by an overwhelming wave of calm. His heart rate settled, his muscles relaxed, and he found himself smiling down at the dark haired youth.

Something deep in his soul screamed at him that this was wrong, that his servant was in danger, STOP SMILING LIKE AN IDIOT! He tried to react to his instincts, but the forced calm weighed him down, his mind turned to mud, too thick to wade through.

Just one thought managed to bubble its way up through the sludge of his head. Gaius. Take Merlin to Gaius. He would know what to do.

He gently scooped up the unconscious Merlin and calmly set off for the Court Physicians chambers.

XXX

Gaius had been tense all morning as he went about his rounds, delivering the remedies and potions he had concocted. Something just did not feel right lately.

He worried about Merlin too. The boy had returned early last night, seemingly wandering into the room in a daze, confused and quiet. He had refused dinner (then Gaius _knew_ something was wrong) before retiring to his room for the night. Gaius had been concerned, but knew better than to push Merlin, his ward would tell him what was wrong in his own time.

He had not seen the boy this morning, Merlin had been off to work early, before Gaius was up. This was not a rare occurrence, Arthur often requested Merlin wake him early, he liked to begin training before the sun got too hot, in all his armour and chainmail.

Gaius had just begun work on another remedial potion when a gentle knock at the door preceded the entrance of the prince, carrying an unconscious Merlin in his arms. The prince looked to be in a similar condition to Merlin the previous night, dazed and subdued. The sudden appearance of both instantly had the old physician concerned and on alert for trouble.

"What on earth happened Sire?" he questioned the young noble. Glazed eyes met his own as the prince calmly explained that Merlin had collapsed beside his window.

Gaius forced the dazed prince to take a seat after depositing the unconscious Merlin on the cot reserved for patients. Still casting concerned glances at the young noble behind him, Gaius set to work examining his dark haired ward.

After several minutes in which Gaius checked for any signs of fever or injury, he determined that there was nothing physically wrong with Merlin that he could identify. The boy just seemed deeply unconscious. Turning to report his findings to the prince, he was slightly alarmed to find him staring aimlessly into space, he had not moved from where Gaius had left him.

"Sire?" His questioning rewarded him with Arthurs unfocused gaze sliding to his face. "Sire, I fear there is nothing I can do for Merlin but wait until he has awoken. I shall monitor him to ensure his safety, but other than that there is little I can do. I believe it would be wise for you to take some rest, you are looking rather unwell yourself. I shall inform you when I know anything further." The prince nodded vaguely, leaving the comment on his health unchallenged and wandered out the door, leaving Gaius alone with his growing unease.

XXX

As Merlin slowly regained consciousness he became aware of his aching body. His first thought was that Arthur had run him over with his horse while training for jousting. His entire body just ached, weighed down as though heavy chains wrapped around every inch of his flesh. His head pounded fiercely, a relentless drumming on his skull he could not escape. He groaned as he cautiously opened one eye, peering around the room bathed in evening gloom. He jumped as Gaius bumped through the door, carrying a tray of empty vials.

The old physician smiled when he noticed his ward was awake, releasing an audible sigh of relief.

"How are you feeling Merlin?" he questioned.

"Like Arthurs been using me as his dummy in sword training for a week." Merlin griped, eliciting a smile from his mentor. "What happened?"

Gaius's smile faltered. "I was hoping you would be able to tell me... What can you remember?"

Merlin thought back to the morning. He had woken up late, feeling terrible, been yelled at by Nora, yelled at _and _threatened by Arthur before being turned into a human target for archery practice. Then what?... He remembered entering Arthurs chambers...

Merlin gasped. "The tree!" he exclaimed. "Gaius there's something not right about that little tree!"

**A/N: well I shall leave it there for now, this chapter is quite a lot longer than the others already. I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, its taken ages, I just couldn't get it to flow properly, and work out how to get to the next plot point I have planned. But never fear, the next chapter shall reveal some further plot, which will hopefully lead to more action xD**

Thanks again for reading, let me know how I'm doing and review!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks so much to all who have reviewed, favourited or alerted this story, it means a lot to me and really makes my day everytime I get an email informing me :) I haven't been able to log into for a few days for some reason, has anyone else had this problem? But anyway, here it finally is xD**

**CHAP FOUR**

Merlin frowned as he felt the knobbled hand of his guardian on his forehead. He turned to see the look of deep concern on Gaius's face and realised he must have sounded insane. He backtracked, "Wait, Gaius, I'm fine. I just meant... you know that little tree Arthur was given by that noble? Well... it's like... I mean... Gaius, it attacked me!" He sighed in frustration as he watched Gaius's eyebrow arch impossibly high, his face a picture of disbelieving bewilderment. Merlin shrugged out of the reach of his fever-detecting hand, and huffed.

"Gaius! I'm fine! I know what I'm saying! There's something not right about that tree, I know it has magic, and every time I go near it, I can feel its hunger, its greed. I can feel it reach into me and... I dunno... but then I wake up and it hurts! Gaius you have to believe me!"

Gaius nodded slowly and lowered himself into the closest chair. He remembered his initial discovery of the trees magic, and his decision not to inform the king. He remembered the feeling of peace that stole over him, swaying his judgement. Had he been wrong about the little tree? Was its magic evil? He frowned; he had only felt calm exuding from the small plant.

He looked up to his wards desperate face, eyes searching his own for some sign of knowledge or comfort. Gaius sighed heavily, resigning himself to a long search through dusty old books for answers.

"I believe you Merlin. But I fear there is little I can offer you presently. I have never heard of anything like this before." Merlin nodded sombrely, he had expected as much, but quietly hoped his mentor might have known the answers.

"We need to find out where the plant came from." Merlin determined. "Who gave it to Arthur?"

Gaius gasped softly, before whispering to himself, "No... surely she wouldn't..." he trailed off into contemplative silence.

"What?" Merlin waited impatiently for the old physician to reveal his newly realised information. "Gaius, what is it?..." Merlin prompted.

"Merlin, the noble who gifted that plant to Arthur, was the late Queen Ygraine's cousin and childhood friend, Lady Emelyn." He looked up at the young warlock expectantly. He continued exasperatedly when the blank look on Merlins face showed he had not been understood.

"Honestly Merlin, I thought everyone had heard the rumours. Lady Emelyn was the Lady Ygraines closest friend when they were younger. They grew up together and remained steadfast friends even after Ygraine became Queen. When the queen died giving birth to Arthur, Emelyn's grief was immense, almost on a level to rival Uther's. But where Uther had his son as comfort, Emelyn had nothing but the memory of a dear friend who was now gone." He looked impressively at Merlin, who was still looking blank even after Gaius's explanation. He sighed.

"Well Merlin, like Uther, she too blamed something for Ygraines death. Uther blamed magic and became blinded by his hatred for it. But Emelyn blamed Arthur. She hated the child who had taken her best friend from her."

"But it wasn't Arthurs fault!" interrupted Merlin indignantly. "How could she blame him for being born?"

"She was blinded by grief Merlin." Gaius said compassionately, "The loss of her friend was a terrible one for her, and she could not think rationally about it. She needed something to blame, and the young prince was the only option." Merlin clenched his jaw, restraining the scathing comment about the lady that surged to the top of his tongue. Gaius continued his recount of events.

"Her hatred grew, but Arthur was protected by the king, and loved by the people. So she left the castle, took her grief and lonely hatred to her uncle's castle near the border of the kingdom. It is rumoured that she retired from court life, her grief drove her mad and she has become a shadow of the woman she was." He finished sadly.

"So why was she in Camalot a few weeks ago?" Merlin could not reconcile the wreckage of woman that Gaius's story painted, with the young noble who presented Arthur with a unique gift recently.

"Well with time, her madness has faded. When she arrived in Camalot, she begged for the King's forgiveness for her actions, her remorse was great, and she wished to make amends with the royal family to which her cousin had belonged."

Merlin nodded slowly in understanding. "And she gave the prince the tree as a gift to demonstrate her desire for reconciliation." He concluded. He rubbed his aching head as he continued "well I don't care what her reasons where, there's something not right about that tree. Whether she did it on purpose or not, I think that tree is dangerous for Arthur. And seeing as he's too much of a prat to notice for himself, I suppose I'll have to destroy it for him." Merlin got up and tried to leave before being stopped by Gaius words.

"Merlin! The tree doesn't seem to be doing any harm to Arthur..." he looked pointedly at the young warlock before him. "Be careful."

XXX

Merlin entered his masters chambers cautiously. He did not want to anger the prince by bursting through his door recklessly, and for some reason he didn't want the plant to know he was there yet. Not that plants could tell if someone was in a room... right?... Merlin shook his head free of silly thoughts and looked around. Arthur was nowhere to be seen, and the tree sat innocently on the windowsill, bathed in a strip of glorious sunlight.

Merlin closed the door quietly behind him and edged closer to the miniature plant. He stopped about three metres from it, not wanting to get close enough to feel its hunger, and decided how best to destroy it. Raising his arm, he allowed the swell of magic to flow behind his eyes, flashing gold, he whispered "Forbaernan".

Flames leapt up around the tree, licking its branches and scorching its roots, consuming all. Merlin watched the tree burn with satisfaction, before reeling back in pain as the piercing thorn of magic buried into his mind. The flames were quenched and the tree was unharmed, the only evidence there had been a fire at all was the slight smoke stain formed on the ceiling. Merlin held his head, panting as the intruding vine left him just as quickly as it had appeared. He had the distinct feeling the tree had invaded him as a warning. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DESTROY ME.

Merlin stared at his tiny enemy and the strangely intimidating picture the tree had become. Resting upon the sill, its presence dominated the window. Just what the hell was he supposed to do now?

Just as he reached out to pick up the potted tree, the doors to the chambers opened and admitted one royal prat. His confusion was palpable as he noticed his servant beside his window once more.

"What are you doing Merlin?" He began towards the younger boy, swallowing the concern that had bubbled up at the sight of him up and about so soon after his collapse.

Merlin took a quick step away from the plant, unconsciously adopting the look of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I was just uh—I was going to take the plant to Gaius so he could examine it..." he trailed off at the look in Arthurs eyes.

An intense fury raged through the prince, seemingly from nowhere. Somewhere deep inside him he knew this was not right. Why should he be so angry about Gaius looking at a plant? It was no concern of his. But as Merlin explained his intentions, he was consumed by a fiery rage that swept up like a wave and enveloped him.

He thundered forwards and delivered a sharp backhand that sent a shocked Merlin sprawling. He picked up his tiny treasure from the windowsill and lovingly held it to his breast. Staring daggers at his servant who was lying on the floor wiping a trickle of blood from his lip, he spat "How dare you attempt to steal my gift. You stupid, slow, clumsy, pathetic excuse for a servant. Get out."

Merlin was stunned by the venom in his voice, and could only stare in shock, too surprised and hurt to move. What just happened? Arthur had hit him! His master, his prince. His friend! Merlin flinched as Arthur took a menacing step towards him and all but screamed "GET OUT!" before aiming a vicious kick which Merlin barely dodged as he scrambled from the room.

Arthur seethed as he turned away from the door to stare out the window. Putting the tree back in its place on the sill, he felt the fury leave him suddenly, as a wave of calm crashed over him. He collapsed onto his bed, completely drained by the emotional outburst, but smiled fondly at his gift as he drifted off to sleep.

Resting in its place in the window, the beautiful plant watched over the prince, its lush green leaves whispering deviously.

XXX

**A/N: click that little button and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism welcomed and encouraged!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here comes chapter five! Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed or even read this story, I'm so glad so many people are enjoying it! I forgot to mention the time frame for this fic, so um, its first season, so Morgana is mostly pleasant and not evil, the dragon is still stuck under the castle and yeah... sorry for not saying that before and giving the fic proper context... Anyway, enjoy!**

**CHAP FIVE**

Merlin slumped against the wall at the end of the hallway, his heart thundering in his ears. What the hell just happened? One minute Arthur had been himself, next second he was furious! About the tree? That just made no sense! And Arthur had—he had—Merlin felt his stinging cheek and split lip gingerly—Arthur had _hit _him! Even after he had worked for Arthur for over a year, and had annoyed and even infuriated the prince at times, he had never managed to provoke him to violence. Arthur was just not the type of master to abuse his power by abusing his servants.

Merlin had a sneaking suspicion that the devilish little tree had something to do with his prince's behaviour, but with no way of confirming his fears, let alone being able to do anything about them, Merlin headed back to Gaius's chambers and a well deserved dinner. It had been a long and confusing day...

XXX

_Thorn covered vines twisted around him, their sharp protrusions digging into his flesh. Branches heavily laden with leaves blocked the light around him, smothering him in darkness. The damp, musty air he breathed tasted of rich earth and rotting wood. Its rank texture caught in his throat, choking him so he could not cry out. The leaves around him whispered menacingly, and he felt his soul being consumed by an overwhelming hunger. A razor sharp shoot penetrated his foggy mind and delved deeper and deeper into his consciousness searching out the richest source of magic..._

Merlin's eyes flew open and he bolted upright, gasping. His head was pounding ferociously and he was drenched in sweat. He swallowed heavily and tried to calm his racing heart. It was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream. He hoped by repeating the mantra he could force himself to believe it, but somehow it just didn't feel true. He was drained and shaky, exactly as he had been after his previous encounters with the plant, and couldn't help but feel that the tree was reaching him despite the distance between them.

Quickly coming to a decision, he rose out of bed and threw on his boots. He needed answers _now_.

XXX

Upon arriving in the dim cave beneath the castle, Merlin called out to the ancient beast he knew to be lurking within. The heavy beating of wings preceded the creatures appearance, as it descended onto the protruding rock it used as a perch to speak to the dark haired youth.

"Good evening young warlock" the dragon began pleasantly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" His eyes sparkled with amusement as he beheld the tiny man stood before him.

"I need answers." Merlin began.

"You always need answers Merlin. You never visit me for idle chatter." The dragon stated impassively. "I assume this is about the new addition to Arthurs window?" At Merlin's surprised expression he elaborated, "I felt its presence the moment it entered Camalot. The young prince has been gifted a Mǽte Tree."

Merlin tried to swallow his astonishment at the dragons impressive ability to always know what was going on in the world above him, and always have the information and answers to help. "What exactly does that mean? What is a Mǽte Tree?" he inquired.

"The Mǽte Tree is grown from a seed born of the old religion. It holds great wisdom and power, for those who understand how to discover it." The ancient creature nodded impressively at the young man, "You should not destroy it. The Mǽte Tree is your kin, as I am, as are all creatures of the old religion. It may be a great ally someday." He finished cryptically and spread his wings.

"Wait!" Merlin yelled desperately as he realised the dragons intentions. "What does that even mean? You've barely told me anything yet! You haven't answered my questions!"

The dragon chuckled as it sprung into the air, "You haven't yet asked them young warlock." And with that he was gone, leaving an infuriated Merlin with his questions on the edge of the rock platform.

"Then come back and let me!" he screamed after the retreating dragon. "I need your help!"

The tauntingly cryptic voice floated back to him "You already have it..."

Merlin growled out his frustration as he turned on his heel and headed back up the stairs to the castle. Why couldn't the damn beast stay for a reasonable amount of time, which would actually allow him to ask his questions in the first place? It wasn't his fault that their conversation had been maddeningly short and he had not had time to voice his questions before the aggravating beast left him.

He sighed, resigned to his fate of finding answers in Gaius's dusty old books. He had not received the answers he went for; in fact the damn dragon had left him with more. What on earth had he meant, the tree could be an ally? It was clearly bad news, it hurt him and was messing with Arthur somehow... so why should he not get rid of it?

His mind spun in confused circles as he crept back to his bed.

XXX

Merlin slept out the rest of the night uninterrupted by evil trees, and even managed to make it to the princes chambers on time. Upon seeing the split lip and slightly bruised cheek of his servant Arthur was livid.

"Who did this to you?" he demanded. No one touched his servant and got away with it.

Merlin couldn't help but gape at the prince. Had he forgotten? Hesitantly he answered "It ah.. it was you sire..." he ducked his head to avoid Arthurs eyes.

The royal youth was shocked. "Surely Merlin you..." he trailed off as a strange memory floated back to the front of his mind. It was dreamlike but it was there. He had hit his own servant. Guilt and anger welled up in him. When he had seen other nobles abuse their servants when he was younger, he had sworn he would never sink so low. He shuffled uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, Merlin, I um—" he was cut off by his servant "Not to worry sire, I'm sure you didn't mean to. Now what are we up to today?" Merlin knew Arthur had not meant to, and he knew how difficult it was for him to swallow his pride and apologise. So he gave him a way out.

Arthur nodded gratefully and regained his authoritative position as master. "We are going hunting." He stated happily. He laughed when he saw his servant groan, he never could understand why Merlin hated the sport so much. "Pack the gear and prepare the horses, we leave in an hour." He sat down to the breakfast Merlin had brought, as the younger man began gathering supplies.

A peculiar sensation washed over Arthur and he turned to the window. Upon seeing the beautiful tree had begun to wilt slightly, a strange protective desire overtook him. Perhaps some sunshine and fresh air would do the plant some good. "Merlin," he began. "Pack the little tree too. I think the fresh air would be good for it, clearly whatever you do for it isn't."

Merlin stopped dead at the announcement, ignoring the jibe at his gardening abilities as horror washed over him. He did not want to be around the cursed plant any longer than he had to. From the moment he had stepped into the chambers that morning, he had felt its presence, and the hunger that emanated from it left him feeling slightly nauseous.

"Um maybe I could take it to Gaius instead, he would know how to better care for it, and there really isn't room in the bags for a tree Arthur, it's far too fragile to take hunting anyway..." Merlin stopped as he saw the fury flash in his masters eyes.

Arthur honestly could not explain where the anger that suddenly consumed him had come from. He could not contain the venom in his voice as he spat "The opinion of a lowly servant like you means _nothing _to me _Mer_lin. Do not question me again, and do what I say. I told you to pack the tree."

Merlin could not deny that those words, spoken with such malice, had hurt. But he swallowed his emotion and nodded silently to his master. He had a bad feeling this hunting trip was about to get a whole lot worse than usual.

XXX

**A/N: I did research (gasp!) and tried to find a translation of small in old English. The closest I could find that was on several sites was: ****mǽte [] **_**adj**_** mean, moderate, poor, inferior, small, bad; **_**adv **_**~. So I tried :) and thats why it's a mǽte tree.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so so sorry for the late update! I had some real trouble getting this chapter going, it just wouldn't flow... and then there was return to uni and college was hectic and then the internet wouldn't work and argh! But this chapter is longer than the others so that makes up for it right?... no its inexcusable I know... but that's all I can do...**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and/or added this fic to their favourites or alerts :)**

**XXX**

**CHAP SIX**

The calm serenity of the forest was interrupted by the thundering of horses hooves as Merlin and Arthur rode away from the castle. Behind the trees the sun glittered warmly, dappling the path with shade and causing a smile to light up the prince's face. There could be no better weather for a hunt.

Behind him rode Merlin. No smile adorned his face but for once it had nothing to do with the hunt; the sun and gorgeous weather was clouded by the presence of the tiny tree riding innocently in his saddlebag. It had been bothering him since the stables, where he had readied the horses with the supplies. He had felt the piercing thorn begin to reach for his mind and instinctively drawn up a barrier of magic to protect him. The trees lashing vine of magic had immediately begun to crash against his defences, searching for a way to penetrate and devour his mind. Now almost an hour later, Merlin was about ready to scream. He was trapped within his own fort of magic and surrounded by the unfriendly aura of the tree, which was continuing its onslaught on his defences. He could not focus on his surroundings without weakening his barricade and found himself more than once almost falling off his horse as it jumped slightly over fallen branches or potholes. Each time this occurred he felt the tree renew its efforts to break through as his attention wavered briefly and a pang of fear hummed through him – he had no desire for a repeat of the previous day.

Oblivious to his servant's inner turmoil, the prince rode ahead eagerly, eyes searching the ground for hints of animal tracks. His face lit up in triumph as he spotted the broken twigs and recently disturbed earth revealing the path of an unfortunate animal. He held his arm up to inform Merlin they were halting and promptly dismounted his steed.

Trapped in his head, suppressed by the magic of the tree, Merlin failed to notice the prince's movements and was swiftly dislodged from his seat as his mare skidded to a stop behind the prince's horse, unable to get around it on the narrow path.

Merlin instinctively tensed, briefly losing focus on the magic as he fought to prevent gravity from crashing him into the unforgiving ground. That moment was all the tree needed and he cried out as he felt the hungry thorn impale his mind and begin digging through his subconscious on its greedy quest. He hit the ground hard, bruising his lower back and losing his breath. In a world of pain he reached blindly to claw at his head, fighting to evict the piercing magic that was tearing him apart.

Distracted from his inspection of the trail by the restless snorting of the horses at their near collision, Arthur turned in exasperation to berate Merlin on his clumsiness and poor horsemanship, only to find the younger man writhing in pain on the ground clutching his head and struggling to breathe. Alarmed, he hurried to his side and began coaching him to regain the rhythm of his breath. _Honestly, _he sighed in relief as his servants breathing gradually returned to normal. I_s Merlin completely useless? Here I was thinking that horse riding was one thing he was even slightly competent at, but apparently not. I swear he just lives to prove me wrong. _The prince stopped his exasperated musing as Merlin gave another pitiful groan and opened his eyes.

In the pain filled haze of his mind, Merlin had somehow managed to re-erect the magical barriers and evict the greedy presence from his head. As he slowly became aware of his surroundings once again he groaned as he felt the bruising on his lower back. Much to his chagrin, he jumped a foot in the air when the concerned voice of his prince spoke at his side, before groaning once more as his back protested his sudden movement. He sent a baleful glare at his master as Arthur stifled a chuckle at his unfortunate servants reaction.

"As I was saying Merlin, I found a trail before you decided to become an acrobat and flip elegantly off your horse." He smirked again as Merlin huffed sulkily at his jibe. He paused expectantly, waiting for the witty comeback of his servant, only to be surprised as Merlin remained silent. Arthur's concern rose it's head again as he wondered if his servant had actually received a significant injury in his fall, it was most unlike him to let the prince's mockery slide. But Merlin's eyes slid out of focus and his face creased in concentration, and internal battle seemed to be raging behind his eyes.

"Merlin." Arthur received no response. "Merlin?" He tried again with the same result. He impatiently waved a hand in front of the younger boy's face and didn't receive even the slightest hint that his servant was aware of his actions. Realising something was definitely wrong, he grabbed him by the shoulders and gently shook him, aiming for any response that might indicate his servant was still there.

Merlin heard his master's weak insult and barely managed a displeased huff in response before he was surrounded once more by the magic of the tree. He pulled his consciousness back into his mind and pushed against the smothering presence with all he had. He felt his body move and panicked as he felt his concentration waver. Sending out a final wave of mental power he forced the tree back, mentally tripping up as the tree retreated completely. Snapping back to reality he took his first free breath in over an hour and sighed in relief. The tree had finally withdrawn. He turned to Arthur's concerned face and gave a weak smile.

"I thought I'd try my hand at acrobatics since it couldn't be more painful than being the servant of a prat." The prince snorted at his servant's late- and rather weak- comeback, too relieved that he replied at all to continue their usual banter. Grabbing Merlin under his arm he hauled the younger man up and headed over to the trail again. Merlin took the horses off the path and tied them loosely to a tree before following his master after the hunt.

XXX

After catching and killing three rabbits and a pheasant, Arthur felt a peculiar need to go back. Abandoning the trail of a large animal, possibly a deer, he ordered the end of the hunt. Merlin sighed in relief. While he had so far managed to trip only once, he found that when going after the larger animals, he tripped a lot more, and Arthur seemed to get much more annoyed at Merlins hopeless coordination. He found it odd that Arthur would abandon the hunt just as it was about to get "good", the prince often said that hunting the larger animals was much more fun. Merlin shrugged to himself, just glad to be leaving and happily followed his master back to the horses, unaware of the princes changing mood.

The closer to the horses they got, the worse Arthurs mood became. It began as frustration he could not explain- it had been a reasonable hunt which he had enjoyed. Now, waves of anger slowly crashed against his emotions, unsettling him and overtaking his mind. By the time they reached the horses, Arthur was mad. He had absolutely no explanation for his radical mood swing, but right now that seemed unimportant. He swung round to his servant to berate his slow pace but was stopped by the view of Merlin sprawled across the ground.

Merlin felt a cold finger of dread make its way up his spine the closer they got to the path. He could feel the intimidating presence of the tree, but it hung back, waiting. Its distant threat put Merlin on edge and he cautiously raised his defences. Unfortunately for him, his distraction led him to miss a large root sticking out just in front of his feet and he fell on his face ungracefully.

From his position, sprawled across the forest floor, Merlin expected the stomping of the prince's boots to indicate the return of his exasperated master to help him up, followed by a snarky comment and their usual banter. Never in a million years did Merlin expect the sharp kick to his side.

Grunting in pain Merlin rolled with the force of the kick. On his back, Merlin looked up into the face of his prince and flinched at the fiery rage in his eyes. Arthurs face was twisted with hatred, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Lightning fast, Merlin was hauled to his feet by a fistful of neckerchief. Choking slightly he trembled at eye level with an Arthur he barely recognised. The prince's free hand rose and Merlin was caught by surprise again when his head snapped back. Reeling from the force of the punch Merlin knew Arthur was not holding back. A thrill of fear shot through him when he heard Arthurs voice laced with malice.

"You always have been a useless pathetic excuse for a servant. You can't stand on your own two feet without messing that up. You're pathetic!" He shoved Merlin away roughly, causing the younger man to stumble once again and hit the trunk of a large tree, his already bruised back flaring up with pain once more as he crumpled at its base. For the first time in his life, Merlin was truly afraid as the prince leered down at him, standing over his legs.

"See? You can't even use your legs properly and stay upright. You do not deserve to be my servant. You do not deserve the honour that serving me brings! You barely deserve to lay in the mud at my feet you pathetic excuse for a man!" Arthurs foot connected with the young warlocks ribs and Merlin saw stars. Above him the prince raged, out of his mind with uncontrolled fury.

_What the hell is going on?_ Merlin's mind raced desperately for an explanation, what could he possibly have done to elicit this kind of reaction from his master? The only time the prince had ever struck a servant was –

The tree. Merlin felt the ominous presence lurking, and knew he was right. Last time Arthur had lost control of his emotion was because of the tree. Merlin drew his magical defences closer around his mind as he thought it, losing focus on the enraged man above him as he determined he would not let that damned thing in his mind again.

Arthur felt his fury spike as he noticed the glazed look in his servant's eyes. "You think you can ignore me _Mer_lin?" The prince's voice took on a sadistic tone as he continued. "If you don't use your legs anyway, I hardly think you'll miss them if they're broken..." A feral smile covered the royal's face as he spat "Try and ignore me now!" before bringing his foot down with all the force he could muster, onto his servant's ankle.

An awful crack echoed through the woods followed by a moment of complete silence.

Arthur grinned maniacally at his work and Merlin felt the tree's presence rush up to surround him as the pain in his leg overwhelmed his focus.

An agonised scream ripped from his throat and his magic crumbled around his mind allowing the tree to invade his consciousness. His ankle radiated pain throughout his body and he rolled to his side as he retched. His head was being split in half as the piercing root dug into his very soul and devoured. Its hunger drove it deeper and it seemed mindless of destruction it wrought.

Merlin thanked the heavens as he felt the darkness begin to close around him, smothering him in oblivion. He ran from the pain in his body and mind and retreated into black infinity.

XXX

The tree sated its hunger and pulled back from the boy lying broken on the forest floor.

Arthur was inexplicably overwhelmed by a deep satisfaction as he walked away from the servant he had broken, back to the horses, and back to Camelot.

**XXX**

**A/N: Review and I will love you forever xD I will try and update asap, but I'm going to theme parks this weekend and have assignments to finish before then and gah!... but I promise I'm trying!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: sorry for the late update, but its a longer chapter again! xD **

**Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, but ff won't let me reply for some reason... I click the reply link and it tells me the page does not exist.. so, sorry for not replying, but I appreciate and cherish every review! They totally make my day, I'm so glad people are enjoying my story!**

**I think Arthur is a little ooc in this chap, but considering the circumstances, I think its justified... sorry if you disagree...**

**Anyway, on with the chapter :)**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Arthur awoke the following morning with a pounding headache and little memory of the previous day. He groaned when his door creaked opened and he heard his breakfast being placed on the table.

"Merlin bring me some water," he croaked, thanking whatever gods existed that his usually obnoxiously loud servant was for once keeping quiet. He slowly propped himself up on the pillows, head aching fiercely as he awaited his bumbling servant.

The water arrived at his side promptly and he took a cautious sip before turning to his servant.

"You're actually being helpful and quiet this morning Merlin, what's got int—" he choked as he looked up into the eyes of a very nervous looking boy who was very obviously NOT Merlin.

"Forgive me sire I did not mean to startle you, I meant only to bring you water, I only wish to be of service, I'm so sorry, please forgive my actions—" Arthur cut off the poor boy's nervous apology with a wave of his hand as he coughed the water out of his lungs. The young lad looked close to tears as he wrung his hands in worry next to the prince, entirely unsure of what to do.

"Where is Merlin?" The prince asked when he regained his composure. He did not know why, but he felt a twinge of guilt and worry rise through his aching mind.

"M-Merlin, my Lord? U-uh well, yesterday upon returning from your hunt y-you said that the um, the useless idiot was being uh, u-useless and pathetic and that you ah, would need another servant to replace him tomorrow morning?" The young serving boy cautiously recounted the previous day's events as he knew them, anxious not to displease the future king.

At the boys words, Arthur's mind took him back to the events of yesterday. He remembered returning to the castle, riding through the gates with Merlin's horse in tow, minus its rider. He remembered feeling oddly smug and accomplished as he rode up to the stables. He had left the horses to the stable hands and carried the tree with him up to the castle. He had informed his father of an enjoyable hunt and requested the new servant for the morning. Upon returning to his room, he had been overcome with peace and calm, setting the tree back on the window sill and sitting before it, enthralled by its beauty. After that the memory became hazy, he had no idea how long he had sat there, but he remembered falling back as he was slowly drained of all strength and energy.

"What the hell happened..." Arthur mumbled to himself, wonderingly.

XXX

The morning sunlight filtered through the trees and illuminated the face of the sleeping boy. He lay sprawled across the roots at the base of a large tree not too far from the path through the woods. To a passerby he might have been resting, except for the crease between his brows which belied the pain he was suffering.

That pain was the first thing Merlin became aware of as he slowly regained consciousness. It was everywhere, attacking from every angle, there was not a single nerve left untouched. The blinding sun was in his eyes, adding to the splitting pain in his skull, but when he tried to roll into the shade, he found his body was very unwilling to cooperate. Bile rose in his throat with the pain and he forced his aching body onto its side so he could retch dryly into grass already soiled with yesterdays dried sick.

Tears leaked unbidden from his eyes as the heaving slowly abated. He had to get back to Camelot. Arthur would be wanting his breakfast about now. Thinking of the prince sent a pang of betrayal through his already painful chest. The memory of those familiar blue eyes consumed by fiery hatred and directed at him caused a few more tears to escape Merlins eyes before he shook his head to clear it. Laying here was achieving nothing, he had to get up.

Remembering the agony that his previous attempt at movement had caused, he took a deep breath and reached inside himself for his last reserves of strength.

His eyes widened dramatically as he realised something was wrong. Something was missing. The hidden strength he relied upon in desperate situations was not there. Closing his eyes he dug frantically through his soul, searching for the missing piece. Despair welled up within him as he turned up only broken fragments.

The very core of his magic was shattered.

XXX

Gaius was searching through an old tome on magical botany when the prince entered his chambers.

"Something I can do for you sire?" he enquired.

"Yes. Where is Merlin? I know I requested he not come in today, but I've uh—I've changed my mind..." Gaius was surprised as the prince looked very unsure of himself, as though confused about something.

"I'm sorry my lord, but Merlin did not return last night. I assumed you had found a good hunt and stayed out in the forest..." Gaius trailed off as he realised the implications of that. "Sire, where is Merlin?"

A strange emotion crossed the young princes face before being hidden by his self control. If it were anyone but the prince, Gaius would have called it fear. But this was Prince Arthur, so he had to be mistaken...

"I uh—well I suppose he might... he could be at..." Arthur trailed off, before glancing at Gaius with something akin to guilt. Gaius watched in fascination as the prince seemed to deflate before his eyes. "Gaius I don't know what's happening. I don't know where Merlin is, hell I hardly remember coming home from the hunt yesterday. Gaius I—I'm sorry, but I think Merlin might be in trouble." His eyes betrayed the desperation and panic he was trying hard to hide. "I don't know if it is a memory or just a dream, but I keep hearing him scream in my head." Worry and fear broke through his emotional barrier and coloured his words as he spoke.

Gaius arched his eyebrow in concern, he had not seen his ward since their conversation two days ago. Merlin had been asleep when he returned that night, and had left early yesterday to accompany the prince on his hunt. Gaius did not know if his attempt to deal with the tree had succeeded.

"Sire, what do you remember that you know is real? Was Merlin acting strangely yesterday morning before you left? How far into the hunt do you remember?"

Arthur thought back carefully. "Merlin seemed distracted on the hunt... he even fell off his horse... he was ok though and we left the path to follow a trail..." Arthur tried to remember more. "We caught some rabbits and a pheasant and started following the trail of a larger animal, probably a deer when... argh" he growled in frustration. "From there it gets hazy, I think we headed back to the horses... and... and..." His eyes grew wide with horror as a broken fragment of memory returned. "Oh my God" he gasped, "I kicked him. He fell over and—I – I was so angry... I couldn't control it. Oh my God I hurt him."

Gaius pushed him down into a chair quickly as he looked about ready to collapse. Arthur buried his head in his hands as he continued muttering, appalled. Gaius looked grim as he worried for his young ward. The prince was awfully strong. A kick from him could potentially do a lot of damage to the more fragile boy.

"Arthur, do you remember anything else?" At the shake of his head Gaius pressed. "Anything might be helpful, what about before you left Camelot, was there anything suspicious or unusual?" The shell-shocked prince shook his head.

"Merlin complained about packing, he didn't think my tree would fit in the bags, and he said it was too fragile to take with us... that made me angry..." he whispered the last part ashamedly. "Why was I angry with him? He was right, what was I thinking?" Turning to the old physician he practically pleaded, "Gaius, what's happening? What's wrong with me? I keep blanking out, and I can't control my emotions, the day before yesterday I hit him! I've never hit a servant before..." Arthur felt himself falling apart but could do nothing to stop it. His emotions were beyond his control now and worry for his servant dominated his mind.

Abruptly he stood up. "Gaius we have to find him, he must still be out in the forest, he is not anywhere in Camelot, I already looked— but his horse was in the stables." He hurried towards the door and left before Gaius could stop him.

Gaius sighed deeply, knowing it was useless to follow, he would never keep up. Concern for both young men flooded his entire being. The tree had been on the hunt with them? Is that what Arthur had been saying? He turned back to the botanical book and resumed his search, he needed to know more about this tree, before it caused anymore trouble.

XXX

Arthur rode frantically, urging his horse on with his legs. He could not get the vision of Merlin lying broken on the ground out of his head. He swallowed bile as he remembered the feeling of his foot connecting viciously with his servant's side, the echo of a crack replaying through his mind. _Did I break his ribs? _Arthur was appalled by the thought, Merlin did not deserve that pain, he was a servant, the most injured he should ever be was exhausted and slightly bruised from Arthurs training.

Arthur pushed the negative thoughts aside and forced himself to focus on the path in front of him. He was approaching the spot he had found the trail yesterday...

XXX

After discovering the brutal destruction of his magic, Merlin had retreated into a state of shock. He remembered the feeling of the tree reaching through him, searching for an end to its hunger. At the time, he had felt like his very soul was being destroyed and devoured, and he now realised the truth of that.

Merlin allowed the fight to leave him as he slumped at the base of the tree. The shock and pain overwhelmed his body and he gladly released his hold on consciousness.

It was in such a state that Arthur eventually found him.

Rushing to his servants side Arthur was astounded by the extent of Merlins injuries. The split lip and slight bruise had grown to include a black eye and Merlin's leg rested at an awkward angle, displaying a clearly broken ankle. Arthur noted the puddle of dried sick next to the unconscious boys face and winced. _Shit, I didn't just kick him..._Arthur realised with a wave of guilt. _I must have hit him again, and holy shit I destroyed his ankle..._ The memory of a loud crack echoed through his mind and he carefully raised Merlin's shirt to assess the damage to his torso. A rainbow of deep blue, angry red, sickly green and painful purple decorated Merlin's side, Arthur hissed in sympathy. Prodding gently, he determined that thankfully nothing was broken, the sickening crack must have been from the ankle, but the bruising was deep and would hurt like a bitch. Not wanting to hurt the boy further, but needing to get him up, Arthur took hold of his shoulder and shook gently.

Merlin groaned as he was brought abruptly back to reality and the sickening pain throughout his body. Blearily opening his eyes he instinctively startled seeing the princes face so close to his own, the sharp movement eliciting another pain filled groan.

Merlin suppressed his instinct to run, escape from the man who hurt him, forcing himself to see that it was not his fault. More importantly, Arthur had come back for him. Noting the look of guilt and shame on his friends face, he tried to smile, crinkling his eyes and twitching his lips, and reassure the prince that he was alright, it was not his fault.

Arthur wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw fear flash through his servants eyes when he became aware of his presence. Guilt consumed him and the knowledge that he deserved it did not lessen the hurt as he realised Merlin was afraid of him. Merlin was the one person in all of Camelot with whom Arthur could say, do, or be anything and be completely accepted. At least, Merlin had been.

"A—Arthur?" The prince was snapped out of his thoughts by the raspy voice of the servant he broke. Merlin's eyes seemed to be trying to convey something to him as his mouth twisted in a strange grimace. Arthur leaned closer, trying to discern what Merlin was mumbling at him under his breath.

"...worry..dnn hurt...s'nnn... your fault..."

Arthur felt himself crumble further at the last two words. He had known it was coming, the blame, the hate, but a small and naive part of him had clung to the hope that Merlin might forgive him. His vision blurred as he gazed down at the battered body of his servant. His friend. The only true friend he had ever had... and had broken.

A single tear escaped to roll slowly down his cheek and he whispered a broken apology.

"I'm so sorry."

XXX

**A/N: so poor Arthur didn't get Merlin's message :( and Merlin has lost his magic! Not to fear, more shall be revealed next chapter xD **

**review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ok, so I'm officially the worst person ever, sorry for taking so long to update this! I have had such a difficult time with this chapter, for some reason, it just would not flow for me. Also, I have immersed myself in other fandoms over the past two months (marathoned the whole of Naruto, Shippuden, -man AND avatar; last airbender), unfortunately refocusing my previous Merlin passion. **

**A huge thank you to all who have reviewed, and my sincerest apologies for not replying, but I love and appreciate all of you who take the time to tell me what you think :) Now, with my internet all fixed up, I should be able to reply again, and I shall endeavour to do so from now on :)**

**Now, without further ado,**

**CHAP EIGHT**

It took a long time, and a lot of pain for Merlin, before they reached the gates of Camelot. Arthur brooded over the sequence of events that had lead to this moment, regretting his every action. Disbelief at his violence still shook him to the core, and horror at the consequences his uncontrolled anger had had for Merlin.

Every minute he worried about the extra pain he was causing his friend, who was slumped precariously on his back. Arthur had been unsure as to how to get the younger man home, fearing that putting him on a horse would possibly cause further damage to his ribs and back, and definitely cause more pain. Knowing his servant could not walk on his busted ankle, the prince had seen no other option than holding Merlin on his back and wrapping the boy's arms around his throat to hold him on. He tried to walk gently, careful not to stumble or jostle the injured man any further than was unavoidable but with every step he took, Merlin's breath came shorter and harsher.

Arthurs back and shoulders ached by the time they reached Gaius's chambers, but he welcomed the pain, knowing he deserved far worse. Trudging through the streets of Camelot he had heard the whispers of the bystanders, wondering why their prince carried his badly beaten servant, and what could possibly have happened. He tried to lock his face in a neutral expression as he passed, not wanting them to know his shame, the truth that their prince was the worst kind of thug, but his glazed eyes betrayed him and the whispering stopped when they noticed.

He had sent guards ahead of him to prepare Gaius for the appearance of his ward and to warn him to have medicine ready. He finally traipsed over the threshold to the physicians chambers and lay Merlin down gently, watching as the old physician rushed to examine him.

After his initial shock and horror at seeing Merlin, Gaius locked his feelings away to deal with later, Merlins care had to come first.

The boy looked like hell. His eyes fluttered as he tried to remain conscious, and his breathing hitched with pain. Noticing everything with a clinical eye, Gaius began Merlin's treatment with a strong potion to relieve pain and allow the boy to sleep. Once Merlin's breathing evened out in slumber, Gaius cut open his shirt and assessed his torso.

"I don't think they're broken" Arthur began. He had remained awkwardly standing next to the bed Merlin rested on, wanting to help but unsure of what to do. "I felt them over before I brought him back and I think they are just badly bruised..." He trailed off, not wanting to admit how they had come to be that way.

Gaius merely nodded with an eyebrow arched in understanding and continued his examination, ignoring the prince as he hovered nearby.

XXX

Merlin's examination and treatment took close to an hour before Gaius deemed him sufficiently bandaged and drugged. Leaving his ward to sleep and recover, he turned his attention to the rather distressed prince.

Sometime during Merlin's examination, the prince had wearily sat down and resigned himself to wait uselessly on the side, as Gaius fixed up the mess he had made of his servant. Now that he had seen the damage and had time to think, the events of the previous day slowly came back to him. Putting aside all the damage he had inflicted, Arthur had left Merlin helpless and alone in the forest! Anything could have happened to the injured boy. Utterly disgusted with himself, Arthur couldn't blame his servant for hating him. Hell, he hated himself right now.

Arthur glanced up when the old physician stepped over to him, holding out a bottle of something brown and syrupy. He found he didn't even care what it was as he took it and downed the contents immediately. Darkness crept into the corners of his vision and slowly he felt himself drifting gratefully into oblivion. No more thoughts, no more guilt.

Gaius had noticed the raw emotion on the prince's face and decided that it would be better for the prince if he did not sit idly dwelling on events. He handed the young man a rather potent sleeping draft and caught him as he slumped in his chair slightly surprised that Arthur had downed the potion before Gaius had time to tell him to move to Merlins room. He manoeuvred the prince to the floor, and managed to drag the unconscious boy to Merlins room, panting as his old body struggled with the weight of the muscular prince. He arranged Arthur roughly on the bed before heading back to his books, he needed to find out what that plant was, and wait until his patients awoke.

XXX

It was early evening before Merlin finally cracked open an eye with a groan. His body felt heavy, like he was sinking underwater, but the sensation was not unpleasant. Rolling his head to the side, he caught sight of Gaius poring through an old book, eyes frantically searching the pages.

"Gaius?" he croaked, startling the old man.

On hearing his name, Gaius rushed to Merlins side, all thoughts of strange magical botany forgotten. He smiled down at his ward offering a glass of cool water to sooth his throat and gently resting a hand on his forehead, testing for fever and grateful when he found none.

"Merlin my boy, how are you feeling?" Gaius questioned gently as the boy gratefully gulped at the offered liquid.

Merlin considered the question for a moment. Apart from the heavy feeling of being underwater, he wasn't really feeling much of anything and he told him so.

Gaius sighed in relief, glad his potion was strong enough to mask the pain the boy was sure to be in.

"That's good Merlin" he smiled. Gaius considered leaving the conversation there and allowing Merlin further rest, but knew he needed more information if he was ever to find out what the damn plant was, his book search had so far been fruitless.

"Merlin, I need to know what happened." Gaius shifted uncomfortably when two eyes, bleary with medication looked up at him. He knew it was too soon to be pushing his ward for information, but he needed it. Merlin needed it.

"After you left the other night I began searching the books"—he waved at the table covered with open tomes—"but so far I haven't found anything... What happened the other night? I take it you didn't manage to destroy the tree?"

Merlin nodded wearily and began to talk. He told him everything he remembered of the last few days, leaving out only his visit to the dragon. Merlin broke off when he heard his mentors sharp gasp. Gaius was pale and shocked as everything slowly clicked into place in his mind.

"It has been latching onto you for the last few days... It got healthier after each time... It has completely drained you of magic... Merlin, I think—I mean, I'm not sure—but it sounds like it could be a Mǽte Tree..." Gaius trailed off in thought and Merlin remembered the dragons words.

"_The Mǽte Tree is your kin, as I am, as are all creatures of the old religion. It may be a great ally someday."_

Merlin inwardly sighed in frustration at the ancient beast's cryptic words, cursing his inability to speak straight for seemingly the hundredth time.

"Merlin, if it is the Mǽte Tree, we will have to be very careful from now on... This is an unprecedented occurrence, I'm loath to admit but I'm not entirely sure what to do... If it truly _is _the Mǽte Tree..." Gaius trailed off again, sounding almost reverent.

"Gaius what are you saying?" Merlin felt the foreboding tension return to his body.

"Merlin, the Mǽte Tree is an ancient being, born of magic. It grows on the Isle of the Blessed and feeds on magic. Legend has it that the Mǽte Tree is a source of wisdom for those who seek to use magic. Before the great purge, many magic wielders made a pilgrimage to the Isle of the Blessed in order to meditate before the tree to gain heightened understanding... I did not know it could be removed from the Blessed soil... But from what you have described, it seems that it has indeed been removed, and without the Isle of the Blessed's inherent magic to allow it to grow, it has begun feeding from the only magic it can find... yours." Gaius paused to allow Merlin to digest everything he had just said.

"Right... Well I suppose that makes sense..." Merlin began, thinking of what the dragon had said about being kin, "but it has taken all my magic now, so what does that mean? Will it die or find someone else?"

"I don't know Merlin, that is why we must be careful. As much as you may resent the tree for what it has done to you, it is an ancient magical being which could be an ally if we return it to the Isle, it is wise and could teach you many things I'm sure. So we must endeavour to keep it alive until then... though as to how, I'm not sure..." he trailed off in contemplation.

Merlin thought back over the last few days events bitterly, and realised that while the tree had hurt him, it had not done so through evil intention, but self preservation and he could not fault it for that. Arthur however, had hurt him for seemingly no reason.

"Gaius, what about Arthur?"

Gaius looked over to his young ward questioningly.

"I mean, I think the tree has been affecting him, that's why he lashed out at me... At least, that's what I'd like to believe... No, I'm sure he wouldn't have hurt me otherwise... but I still don't understand why the tree did that to him?" Merlins subconscious hurt at his friends betrayal flashed across his face, and Gaius couldn't prevent himself hating the tree for what it had done to the boys.

"I think it used Arthur to get to you, to make you an easier target. In his chambers you would have had me examine it and discover what it was and what it was doing... I suppose it used violence to keep you at a safe distance. In the forest you said you began using magic to block it? But it took all your concentration... but when you fell from your horse, you lost that and it could reach you again... Merlin I think it used pain to break your focus, to weaken your shield so it could feed from you again..." Gaius glanced down at his wards shattered ankle sympathetically, and thought of the distraught prince in the next room. "Merlin, try not to let this affect your behaviour towards Arthur... It was not his fault."

At the thought of his master, a sudden twinge of pain streaked through Merlin's head, accompanied by hazy memories filled with rejection and pain.

_Fiery rage burned in familiar eyes as Arthurs voice spat hate in his face. "You always have been a pathetic excuse for a servant!... You barely deserve to lay in the mud at my feet!" A hideous crack echoed through the clearing followed by excruciating pain. The princes back turned in disgust... leaving him _abandoned_, in pain..._

Merlin winced as pain spiked through his skull, earning a concerned look from his guardian.

"Huh," he panted, "thanks Gaius, I uh—I think I need more sleep... My head... tchh..."

Gaius helped the dark haired youth swallow some more sleeping draught before sitting back and watching as the lines of pain smoothed out of his forehead as he was enveloped once more in unconsciousness.

Despite the answers the two had discovered through their conversation, Gaius couldn't help thinking they were still a long way from fixing the situation. Glancing towards the room containing the sleeping prince, Gaius hoped that both young men would recover from the days events with minimal repercussions...

Sighing, he headed off to bed. These were concerns that would be dealt with in the morning.

XXX

Sitting upon the windowsill in the royal chambers, ancient magic reached out for help, searching to heal its wilting leaves and dry roots. One soul nearby shone brightly despite its lack of magic, its strength and purity of character glowing enticingly, dulled only slightly by emotional pain. Dark vines of magic desperately sought the source, piercing a mind made vulnerable by unconsciousness.

Merlin's room was quiet, the silence broken only by the sharp hitch of breath as a pained frown creased the brow of its lone occupant...

XXX

**A/N: Bit of a cliffhanger sorry! But I hope that answered a few questions :)**

**Please review, I would love to know what you think of this chap, and reviews inspire me to write more! Speaking of, I will try to update asap, but I cannot make any promises as to when, life seems to get in the way a lot...**


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